After four years of steady success and postseason triumphs, Kansas State’s Chris Klieman remains firmly in the Big 12 coaching elite, ranked No. 3 in CBS Sports’ latest preseason poll.
Klieman trails only Iowa State’s Matt Campbell and Utah’s Kyle Whittingham in the preseason poll, which highlights the active coaches in the conference.
“Klieman remains in the elite tier of Big 12 coaches after a ‘disappointing’ season, which still meant nine wins and a victory in the Rate Bowl,” the article states. “Under Klieman, Kansas State has won at least eight games in every non-pandemic season and delivered three bowl wins in four years.”
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— 785 Sports (@785SportsKSU) March 4, 2024
Klieman also receives recognition for his FCS success at North Dakota State, where he won four national titles and compiled a 120–41 record across both levels.
Kansas head coach Lance Leipold (No. 4) and Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham (No. 5) round out the top five.
The rest of the top 10 includes BYU’s Kalani Sitake, Colorado’s Deion Sanders, Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy, TCU’s Sonny Dykes, and Baylor’s Dave Aranda.
Since taking over in Manhattan in 2019, Klieman has gone 48–28 — the second-most wins in program history — with five seasons of eight or more victories.
Kansas State has also logged five wins over AP Top 10 teams under Klieman, more than any other Big 12 program during that span.
The Wildcats have posted records of 18–8 over the past two years, 28–12 over the past three, and 36–17 over the past four — all best in the conference. Klieman was recently named to the Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List.
K-State returns several key pieces from last year’s 9–4 squad, which closed the season with a dramatic 44–41 bowl win over Rutgers.
Junior quarterback Avery Johnson is back to lead the offense after a breakout campaign. He’ll be joined by returning offensive playmakers Dylan Edwards, Joe Jackson, and Jayce Brown.
On defense, veterans Austin Romaine and V.J. Payne return to anchor the unit, while the offensive line gets a boost from transfers Terrence Enos (Pitt) and J.B. Nelson (Penn State), both expected to contribute immediately.
The Wildcats appear in multiple preseason rankings: No. 12 in USA Today, No. 16 in Joel Klatt’s post-spring top 25, and No. 21 in ESPN’s Football Power Index — the highest FPI rating among Big 12 teams.
Kansas State opens the 2025 season overseas, facing Iowa State on Aug. 23 in Dublin, Ireland.
With strong leadership, returning talent, and rising expectations, the 2025 season could be Klieman’s most defining chapter yet at Kansas State.